In Zahrebellia, a historical district of Konotop on the right bank of the Yezuch, stands the wooden St. Nicholas Church, built in 1891. This is one of the oldest wooden churches in Sumy Oblast and one of the few Konotop temples that survived the Soviet era. The church is active, and it is still simply called St. Nicholas.
Wooden temple of the late 19th century
The church was erected in 1891 in Zahrebellia, a suburb that was once connected to Dryzhchivka by a city dam across the Yezuch. Hundreds of wooden temples from that period were built on the Left Bank, but only a few survived after the 1930s. The St. Nicholas Church is a rare example that has survived to this day in its original forms.
The year 1933
The history of the church is connected with tragic events. In 1933, a detachment of armed people led by Samarin, the commissioner of the Leningrad Food Committee, arrived in Konotop. After grain "procurement" in the city, the detachment moved to Zahrebellia and began confiscating church property: icons, crosses, vestments, and other utensils. According to legend, these very events saved the building itself from destruction — the temple was robbed, but not demolished.
Restoration
In 2007, the church was thoroughly restored and tidied up. Today, it is an active temple of the Konotop Deanery.
How to get there
Address: Konotop, 64 Ivana Skoropadskoho Street (Zahrebellia). Nearby, on the other bank of the Yezuch, are the Ascension Cathedral at the burial site of the participants of the Battle of Konotop and the Local Lore Museum.
Tip
The church is active, so please behave quietly during services. Before traveling to Sumy Oblast, check the security situation and restrictions of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.
